Power Shifts
by calikocat
Summary: So the day they arrived in Beacon Hills at their new itty bitty house Claudia knew that Alpha Hale would be able to sense her and her makeshift pack. And within a few hours of their arrival, they were already knee deep in unpacking when the Hale Alpha pulled into their driveway. (Kid Fic, Wolf Stiles) Part 1 of the Changing Hands series.


Power Shifts

calikocat

Word count: 5288

Disclaimer: Teen Wolf does not belong to me.

A/N: This came about...because I have a need for Alpha Stiles...I also have a need for awesome family backgrounds for Mama Stilinski.

XXX

Claudia knew it wasn't the best idea, but there was an opening here, and they needed the money...and everyone had to start somewhere. So they moved from her small town where they lived in their shoebox apartment to a small house in Beacon Hills. She and Tom had plans to upgrade in a few years, maybe to a house with a bigger yard. Their cub was going to need the space to play.

Not all humans took the news well when they were brought in, told the truth, that werewolves were real. Her Thomas was special though. The moment he saw her gold eyes of a Beta he had merely cupped her face and kissed her, tongue dancing carefully around her fangs. She had, of course, bawled like a complete girl, but there ya go, it was definitely love and she knew she was blessed.

Doubly so because the little one growing inside her was definitely a cub, a little wolf. If her parents were alive they'd be so happy, but they weren't, which was why she had moved away ages ago. The Alpha of her pack wasn't cruel, but he didn't like mixing their blood with humans...and while he'd tolerated Tom he didn't consider him pack. So, they moved, back west to Beacon Hills, where Tom was originally from.

He hadn't understood at first why she was cautious about coming out here, until she explained about the very old and well established Hale Pack. He'd been rather shocked that the Hale family was, in fact, a pack. Tom had asked if there was anything special they needed to do, to avoid stepping on any paws (Really Tom?).

So the day they arrived in Beacon Hills at their new itty bitty house Claudia knew that Alpha Hale would be able to sense her and her makeshift pack. She had been right of course; she always was (stop rolling your eyes Thomas). And within a few hours of their arrival, they were already knee deep in unpacking when the Hale Alpha pulled into their driveway.

The car was a classic of some sort, Claudia knew absolutely jack about cars, and it was shiny and well cared for...it made her wonder if she'd be making Tom sleep on the floor for the foreseeable future...it was scary the lustful looks he was giving the machine.

Alpha Hale was not what she expected. Talia was...beautiful, well most wolves were, but she was regal, poised. Claudia could tell just by looking at her that Talia Hale was the type of Alpha most packs could only dream of having.

Talia smiled at them as she approached them, offering her hand to Tom, and then Claudia. Tom shook her hand. Claudia subtlety bared her throat. "I apologize for not calling ahead...I'm not a threat to your pack."

Talia only kept up her gentle smile. "You're from the Kolton Pack in upstate New York?"

"Yes."

"That's a good pack."

Claudia shrugged. "Mostly. Uncle Fryderyk isn't very embracing of the human race, he barely tolerates his Emissary." She gestured to Tom. "I embrace the human race just fine."

That made the Alpha laugh. "My husband is human as well. Welcome to Beacon Hills."

And that had been that. They had the protection of the Hale Pack if they needed it, not that Claudia expected to need it. She and her cub were just a couple of betas. They were nothing special.

xxx

Talia kept quiet about them, especially after her cub, her son was born. Hieronim Stilinski. Tom had started to make a fuss over the name...until she'd given him the best watery eyes she could muster...after all Hieronim was her late father's name. Tom had caved so easily. She still had it.

Anyway, Talia didn't let anyone know there were two unattached betas in her territory, not only would they be sitting ducks...but it would make Talia look weak. Talia Hale was anything but weak. She was a good Alpha, a strong Alpha; she was also a wife and a mother who wanted to protect her family. In that they were the same. Wives, mothers, allies.

So the night that Claudia woke up screaming, eyes glowing red, Tom immediately called Talia who was there in what seemed like minutes. The moment Talia walked in their front door Claudia practically crawled into the older woman's arms and clung to her, a sobbing mess of tears. Talia, wonderful Talia, simply carried her to their lumpy couch and curled protectively around her.

"What is it Claudia? What's wrong?"

"My eyes." And Claudia opened her eyes, showing the older Alpha how they had changed, how they glowed red. "What do I do?"

Talia simply kissed her forehead. "Nothing you're not already doing. This doesn't change a thing."

"But I'm an Alpha now."

"An Alpha with a tiny pack that is of no threat to me. We're allies you and I. The Hales and the Stilinskis. Do you know what happened? To your old pack?"

Claudia shook her head. "For the power to pass to me...Uncle Fryderyk...and everyone else must be gone. Dead." They shared a heavy look. "You know what that means."

Talia nodded gravely. "Hunters."

And they'd been right.

When the sun rose Claudia called everyone back home she could think of. Every cousin, every relative, no one answered. The phones weren't working. The Kolton Pack was no more...and the only confirmation she got was from an old friend who hadn't been Pack.

Sweet Jenny Lerner from elementary school had called her in tears and condolences because now Claudia was alone. Her last ties to her parents were gone. Dead in a storm of bullets and fire. The police had no leads. Claudia doubted they ever would.

However life didn't change. She was still Claudia Stilinski, wife of Deputy Thomas Stilinski. She and Talia were still friends, allies...even though Claudia kept her head down. The last thing she wanted was to make Talia look bad...and it didn't look particularly good for an Alpha as well established as Talia to have another Alpha in her territory.

So Claudia stayed away from the Hales as a whole, except for Talia. Talia she couldn't stay away from, because despite the Alpha power that flowed inside of her, Claudia considered Talia to be her Alpha.

xxx

Years went by and Claudia marveled over Hieronim's control. He never once flashed his eyes in public, or his fangs or claws. His control was...astounding...and made no sense. Talia theorized that perhaps he had felt the loss of the Kolton pack much the way Claudia had. There was no way to know for sure, but she hoped he hadn't felt that pain. That pain of the entire pack dying.

As he grew it became more and more obvious that Hieronim was a bright child, maybe close to genius level, and in many ways an early bloomer. This made her forever grateful he'd been born a wolf...because otherwise the kid would have given her a freaking heart attack. Or gotten himself killed. The moment he learned to crawl...Jesus. He was in to EVERYTHING. Curious did not begin to describe her son. Oh my god.

Just before he turned two they bought a larger house, one with a decent back yard that was fenced in. It was a relief. All she had to do was keep an eye on him and let him run off all that extra energy. Fenced in yards were wonderful things.

By the time he was five, he had calmed some, and she could leave him alone for about twenty minutes without having to save him from himself. The first day of kindergarten she carried him into the classroom, plopped him into a seat, and then made a run for it. Luckily she'd placed him by an adorable little boy with big brown eyes. He'd never even noticed her leaving.

The boy with the brown eyes, Scott McCall, became Hieronim's best friend, while another boy, Jackson Stupidhead, became his nemesis. Claudia hadn't even known Hieronim had known the word nemesis. School led to something else too, something she'd sort of expected because children were cruel. Hieronim was teased because of his name. So when Claudia asked him what he wanted to be called he'd given her a very intense look and said, 'Stiles'.

It suited him.

xxx

By the time Stiles was in second grade he and Scott were pretty much inseparable...and Claudia was dying. She didn't know what was causing it. Not right away. She was a werewolf after all. They didn't just keel over because of blood pressure or heart disease or anything like that.

It wasn't until Talia insisted on having Deaton, her Emissary, examine Claudia that they knew what had happened. Someone had used a Vengeance Curse on her, the only one who could have done so...had to be pack. Someone had survived the Kolton Pack slaughter...known among all the American packs as the Red Wolf Massacre. Someone had survived and was trying to kill her from a distance...to gain her Alpha power. Wonderful.

She called Jenny Lerner and asked her if anyone at all had survived, because she had a feeling. Jenny was quiet for the longest time before she said, "An old man...Aurek Kolton, but Claudia he's not right. Hasn't been since they found him half dead. But he's at peace now. He passed away in his sleep."

Aurek Kolton...one of the pack elders. He'd survived the massacre...been damaged beyond repair...and in a fit of madness cursed her. Great. There was no stopping a Vengeance Curse...especially when the caster was already dead. Lovely.

She got weaker as time went by, slower, her body ached, she had dizzy spells...she was tired all the time. Obviously she couldn't go to a regular doctor so Talia and Deaton faked her medical records. Officially, she had cancer...and it was too far spread for the doctors to do anything.

Tom was devastated and spent every moment that he could with her and Stiles.

God Stiles. He was still so little. He didn't understand anything that was happening. He didn't understand why she felt so sick or why her scent was wrong. None of it made sense to him.

She lasted as long as she could. Stiles had just started third grade, he turned eight years old...and she couldn't hold on anymore. The curse won. And she could feel her life slip away, no matter how tightly Tom or Hieronim held her hands trying to anchor her to them. It wasn't enough.

She was thankful for them, for having them in her life. She was thankful to die at home in her bed. Her husband and son curled around her, piled up the way wolves should. She smiled at them, breathed in, breathed out. The power slipped from her and her eyes glowed gold...just as Hieronim's glowed red. She smiled at her son. And was gone.

Hieronim was the Alpha now.

xxx

It had only been a few days since Claudia's death and Talia mourned her. Claudia had been like a little sister to her, so very dear to her. She'd gone to the funeral alone; the only member of her pack that had been aware of Claudia's little pack had been her husband, Daren. He'd merely hugged her when she'd returned, silent in his support.

They didn't speak about little Hieronim. No one could know the identity of the Little Alpha. Not all wolves were honorable, and if an Omega or a Beta from an unfriendly pack were to find out about the boy...he'd be killed for his power. So they didn't speak of him at all, too many ears in the Hale pack could hear so very well.

Not to mention there were too many packs visiting at the moment: Kali, Ennis, Deucalion as well as a few others. All gathered for a summit. She didn't dare say a word about Hieronim...especially after what had happened to Deucalion. If one of his own wolves would try to kill him...what would they do to an eight year old boy?

She'd had every intention of having as little contact with them as possible, for their own safety...but then, just days after the funeral Thomas called her...and he was barely coherent. And once again she found herself driving to the Stilinski home in the middle of the night.

Thomas wasn't exactly sober when he answered the door but she could see why; for there under the coffee table in the living room...was Hieronim. In full wolf form. He was small, adorable, with a red tinted coat. He looked up at her with sad red eyes. Just a puppy missing his mother.

"Talia I can't...I can't deal with him right now...can you watch him? At least until he changes back?"

How could she say no?

That night Hieronim slept, curled into her side, tucked safely between her and Daren.

xxx

The next morning she had a plan, a solution. Derek was in mourning because of the girl, Paige. Hieronim was in mourning because of his mother. She had to go to work. Derek refused to leave his room. Derek was going to babysit.

However she didn't just dump the cub into Derek's lap with no explanation, that's something Claudia would have done. Instead she eased herself into his room and sat gently on his bed by his side, softly carding her fingers through his hair. Hazel eyes opened and stared up at her in the early morning light, eyes impossibly sad.

"Mom?"

"I need a favor."

"I'm not going to school...I can't."

"Shh. I know, I know. You don't have to go back yet...we can play the sick card for another week or so, but I need you to do something for me."

Derek gave a little growl that was actually more of a whine and his eyes flashed bright blue. "Mom."

"A friend of mine died recently, an Alpha."

He blinked and propped himself up on his arm. "Is that why you've been sad?"

"Yes. She was a dear friend and one of the last surviving members of the Kolton Pack."

His eyes widened and she could see him struggle to push aside his own pain for her. "What do you need?"

"Her son. He's the last of the Kolton Pack, he's only eight Derek...and now he's the Alpha." She whispered to him, his eyes grew wider. "His father is human and can't deal with mourning and his little boy...who is a wolf and won't change back."

"He can already turn into full wolf?"

"Mmhm. Will you watch him for me? He needs to be around other wolves right now."

"What's his name?"

"I can't tell you that. It's not safe. We'll call him Little Alpha."

"That's lame."

She rolled her eyes. "Regardless, he needs us."

"Okay."

She smiled at him before retreating back to her room. Then she scooped up the Little Alpha, who was curled up in her blankets, and carried him to Derek's room and then plopped him on the bed beside her son. "Thank you. Make sure he eats and take him out side. If he makes a mess you need to clean it up." She grinned and retreated as he scowled at her.

Perhaps more of Claudia had rubbed off on her than she'd originally thought.

xxx

This had been the last thing he'd been expecting. The last thing he wanted. What he wanted was to be left ALONE, but then his mom, his Alpha made a request. She'd been soft spoken and reasonable about it, her tone soft, her scent sad, and then she practically dumped a wolf cub on top of him.

Derek wasn't sure which of them was more surprised, him because wow, he'd never seen or heard of an Alpha this young, never seen any Alpha but his mom take full wolf form. Or possibly it was the cub who was more surprised, because one moment he'd been asleep in his parents bed, he smelled like them, and the next he was in Derek's.

The little red wolf had growled and whined and tried to follow Derek's mother out of the room. Derek held on, not just because he was supposed to watch the brat...but because...he'd never met anyone or anything that smelled so much like sadness and devastation before. The Little Alpha was saturated with that scent, and whined and cried, eyes flashing red as he gnawed at Derek's hands and tried to escape.

"Stop that."

The cub growled louder, trying for fierce, but only accomplishing an undeniable level of cute. God. When did he turn into such girl? Peter and Laura would never let him live this down. He cursed his distraction because the cub nearly squirmed free. "Hey!"

The pup was stronger than he looked, not just because he was a wolf, but because he was an Alpha. The fight was on. They wrestled, twisting and turning, pulling the sheets and blankets loose from the bed until somehow they ended up wrapped in the bedclothes and tumbled to the floor.

He growled at the brat, blue eyes flashing, lighting up the cocoon they'd managed to make for themselves. The Little Alpha growled back, eyes red, and managed to stick his cold nose to Derek's throat despite Derek's struggle to not bare it...and then tiny sharp teeth latched onto his throat. Derek went limp. Holy crap. He just lost a game of dominance with a puppy. Peter must never, ever know about this. Ever.

But then the teeth released him and a warm tongue licked the red welts in apology and Derek marveled at the kid's control. He hadn't broken the skin, not at all. Then he shifted and the Little Alpha relaxed against him, cold nose snuffling around his throat, his collar bone, scenting him, the red glow lessening but not disappearing.

And he curled up on Derek's chest and fell asleep there in their little cave...Derek snorted. Somehow the little shit had organized this all on purpose, how else would they have ended up practically inside a make shift den, protected and sheltered by all these blankets?

xxx

When the Little Alpha woke back up, he awoke with a start, a whine, his heart racing, possibly from a bad dream. He keened and nuzzled into Derek's throat and Derek wrapped his arms around the small furred body. The Pup was a little shit...but Derek cut him some slack...because he couldn't imagine what it would be like to be so alone. To lose your mom and Alpha all at once because they were one and the same. He couldn't imagine what it was like to become an Alpha at that age. All that power in this little body? He was surprised the kid hadn't been driven mad by the grief and the power. Derek wasn't sure he'd have handled it this well.

When the Little Alpha finally stopped whimpering and shaking Derek scratched behind his ears. "Hungry?" There was no vocal response, but a stomach growled...it might have been his. "Come on."

Sharp little teeth mouth at his throat in response.

"My mom is a bigger Alpha than you. I'm supposed to take care of you. We're getting up and we're eating."

The response he got was a lick and a whine that was followed by a huff of defeat.

So he managed to finally escape the cocoon of doom they'd created in their earlier tumble from the bed and listen closely for the rest of his pack. No one was home but them; everyone was at work or school, thank god. Haphazardly he tossed the wad of covers back on the bed, he'd remake it later. "Come on, I'll show you where the kitchen is."

Dull red eyes looked up at him expectantly.

"I'm not carrying you."

A huff and a whine.

"You're eight."

Another huff and the cub started to crawl under the bed. Derek made a grab for him and hauled the pup into his arms with a roll of his eyes.

"Fine."

A cold nose to his throat seemed a little too much like gloating to Derek and he growled a bit as he carried the kid downstairs to the kitchen.

xxx

It was odd, how the cub's scent kept jumping back and forth. One moment he smelled of overwhelming misery, but then Derek made a move, did something that grabbed his attention and he could see and smell the curiosity all over him.

Derek managed to get the kid to eat, to drink some water from a bowl, and then took him into the woods to do his business. That was embarrassing; the kid had actually hidden in the bushes so Derek couldn't see. Were all little kids like this?

As they walked back to the house...well Derek walked, the kid got carried, he sighed into the red fur. "I need to call you something. Mom's idea of Little Alpha is too...cute."

The cub huffed in agreement.

"LA."

There was a gentle nip of teeth to his chin.

"It's better than Little Alpha, or cub, or pup."

LA had no response to that.

xxx

The rest of the day passed rather quickly. They alternated between watching TV, cartoons mostly, or reading. Or rather Derek read to LA who listened intently as any eight year old could before dozing off.

When the pack started arriving home they got several surprised looks. Except from his dad...who already knew about LA.

"I thought Mommy said we couldn't have a puppy?" Cora asked as she started to reach out and pet LA.

"Don't Cora-" Derek tried to warn her...but LA's head snapped up and he flashed red eyes at everyone and growled at them. Too bad it was too cute to be scary.

Laura stared at them for a moment. "How can an Alpha be that young? Does Mom know you picked up a stray Alpha?" She took a step toward them and LA stood on the couch by Derek, showing his little fangs and his fur stood up on end. "Oh my god, that's adorable."

Peter, oh god Peter, leaned against the door frame and smirked. "Joined another pack have you Derek? It's so sweet, you've already been claimed by the Alpha, what sort of dowry do you think your parents are going to provide? This is a such an honor, a blending of two packs a-"

Talia's hand came from nowhere and cuffed her little brother, sending him flying into a wall. "Enough Peter. The Little Alpha is the last of the Kolton Pack. Show some respect."

And that had shut them up. Everyone knew about the Red Wolf Massacre. Never before had Hunters so viciously attacked and wiped out a pack. And as far as anyone knew, it was without provocation.

"Jesus." Laura exclaimed, eyes watering, tearing up, and hand over her mouth. "How..."

"His mother was a friend. She died recently...Vengeance Curse."

"Can we keep him?" Cora asked.

"No. When his father has his wits about him once more he'll want him back."

"His father?" Peter sneered. "Human I suppose."

"Peter, there's nothing wrong with humans."

Peter shot a quick look to Daren. "No. There's not, but he should be raised with wolves."

"Enough Peter."

Peter shut up and Derek was glad for it. LA huffed at them all and crawled into Derek's lap. Which got a giggle out of Cora. God.

xxx

The next few days passed in much the same way, though Derek managed to keep LA from making a den with the covers every morning. Instead they curled together in a nest of blankets, on the bed, LA on top, nose tucked into Derek's throat.

He even got LA to actually walk downstairs instead of carrying him, much to his relief, because he wasn't sure how much more of Peter's teasing he could take. The comments were always low and just out of his Mom's hearing range. The jerk.

It was one morning, after breakfast that Derek and LA were heading back upstairs to his room, Peter behind them, taunting Derek. "You know once an Alpha stakes their claim they don't give it up. You're his forever now Der."

"Go away Peter."

"I'm just so proud. The Kolton Pack was the oldest Pack on the east coast. This is an honor."

"Shut up Peter."

Peter just smirked. "He already put his teeth to your throat didn't he? You're already his bitch-"

Derek didn't even have time to growl, because LA had shot forward, teeth bared and he bit Peter. On the butt, and held on, snarling, eyes bright, bright red.

Peter howled and cursed and tried to throw LA off, but the kid hung on like a freaking snapping turtle and somehow in the struggle Peter tipped over the top step tumbled down the stairs. LA let go of his butt and landed on the top step and watched Peter roll down the stairs like a slinky. Then he looked up at Derek and wagged his tail.

Derek snorted and laughed and bent down to kiss LA's nose. That got him a pleased yip and then LA was scrambling down the stairs, before stopping halfway down to jump...and he landed on Peter's stomach with a satisfying thud. And while Peter struggled to get his breath back LA growled at him and grabbed the older wolf's throat with his teeth. He wasn't gentle.

Talia watched them from the living room in amusement. "Problem little brother?"

"Get him off of me." Peter managed to wheeze.

"Why? You knowingly challenged an Alpha."

"He's a child—erg!" He snarled.

Talia chuckled and flashed red eyes. "Let him go."

LA put his paw on Peter's throat and then looked up at Derek's mom, teeth bared.

She sighed and tapped his nose. "This is my pack Little Alpha. When you're older we'll negotiate the terms for Derek's transfer to your pack."

Wait...what? "Mom?"

She smiled at him. "Peter is right about one thing. Alpha's don't give up their claims easily."

"He's a baby." Derek protested and then blushed when LA whined at him.

"But he won't always be."

Huh. Derek hadn't really thought about that...it was strange...to think that someone wanted him even when he still felt so broken inside...but then LA was even more broken than Derek was wasn't he. But he still had room for Derek in his heart and pack. Just. Wow. "He's still a baby. Now." Derek sighed and motioned to LA. "Come on LA. I'll read to you some more."

LA yipped, having totally forgotten about Peter laying prone beneath him as he scrambled back up the stairs.

"Damn brat clawed me up." Peter growled.

Talia cuffed him. "Stop baiting him."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

xxx

LA had been with them a week and Derek had gotten used to him. He'd gotten used to curling up with the small furred body at night. He'd gotten used to waking up with little teeth worrying gently at his throat in the morning, always followed by gentle and apologizing licks.

So when a warm human nose nudged at his chin he bared his throat without thinking and little blunt human teeth worried at the skin before a warm human tongue licked him in apology.

Wait...human? Derek shoved LA back and instead of fur his hands met skin. Lots of bare skin. LA was in his human form once more. And naked.

They stared at one another for a long moment. Derek wasn't sure how he differed to LA's human eyes...but to him...LA looked just as adorable as he did before. His hair was buzzed short and he had the most interesting collection of moles that seemed to be all over his body (gulp). His nose was cute, upturned and fit his face perfectly, his smile was wide and he grinned and bared his teeth at Derek in amusement.

And his eyes. They were a striking amber. The way real wolf's eyes would look in the wild.

Derek felt himself blush. "Clothes. You need clothes."

LA didn't say anything, just watched him, head tilted while Derek scrambled from the bed and found a large t-shirt for the kid...one that covered everything. He'd never felt like such a pervert. LA was still a kid! A little kid! God!

He practically shoved the shirt on him and was so relieved when it reached his calves. Everything was covered. Mission complete.

"Derek?" A soft knock on the door and his mom peeked in. "Oh...I guess he's ready to go home."

Derek felt panic clench his heart. Home? Wasn't this home? "What?"

Talia smiled at him. "You know we can't keep him."

"But..."

"Derek..." Her eyes widened just a bit. "All teasing aside I guess you did choose each other."

"Uh..."

Her smile was bright, happy and kind. "I'm glad. His mother would have found this entire situation hilarious. Make sure he eats would you? Nothing too sugary."

"Do I have to say goodbye?"

"I told you didn't I? That Alpha's don't give up their claims easily. He'll find you when he's ready...or you'll find him." And she ducked back out of his room, leaving them alone.

Derek collapsed on onto his bed and fell back. LA made a distressed sound and crawled over to him, nosing at his throat and licking at it again.

"You're a brat." Derek mumbled.

LA pouted at him before whispering "Mine" and bit Derek's throat one last time.

Derek held back a whine. "Definitely a brat."

xxx

It had only been a month since Talia had taken the Little Alpha home. Wherever home was. Laura understood that he needed to be with his pack, what was left of it; even it was just the kid and his dad. But god, Derek moped so much now. He was absolutely no fun what so ever. Not even Peter bugged him. Which meant she and Cora got all of his attention now.

So not fair.

"Laura."

She jumped a bit and looked across the car to her mom. "What?"

"Pay attention. You know where we are?"

"Uh yeah. A subdivision."

"Remember it."

"Why?"

"In case of an emergency."

Laura stared at her mom for a moment. "What kind of emergency?"

Talia sighed. "You'll be the Alpha someday."

"Not for a long time."

Her mother pulled into a driveway and parked the car. "This is just in case."

"In case of what?"

"Just in case." She gestured to the two story house in front of them. "What do you see?"

Laura looked. "A house." She did a double take. "Is that...Derek's LA? With Deputy Stilinski?" Holy Shit... "Derek's Little Alpha is Deputy Stilinski's kid?" She gave her mom, her Alpha, a confused look. "How the hell did that happen?"

"I'll tell you later. For now we're taking them out to lunch. You need the experience of dealing with an Alpha that's not me."

"You mean I need the experience of dealing with my little brother's future mate."

"That too."

"Huh."

XXX


End file.
